Stephen Siteman Collection

Overview:
A member of the Post War World Council, an ardent pacifist, and anti-imperialist, Stephen Siteman was a long-time member of the Socialist Party of America, serving for seventeen years as secretary to the party's leader Norman Thomas. In his late teens, Siteman was imprisoned as a conscientious objector during World War II. Although he was later pardoned, his time as a prisoner led him into active involvement in prison reform and the peace movement.

During his long involvement in the Socialist Party, Siteman collected a large quantity of material relating to important socialist issues, including Socialist Reform, the peace movement, conscientious objection, and prison reform. The collection also includes a small selection of Siteman's personal correspondence with Frank Zeidler, former Socialist mayor of Milwaukee, and the novelist Mark Harris.

Background on Stephen Siteman

Born in Montague, Massachusetts, on September 15, 1919, Stephen Siteman was introduced to Socialist ideals during the Great Depression, beginning a lifelong association with Democratic Socialism and leftist politics. A pacifist, Siteman was interned in upstate New York during the Second World War for resisting the draft, and although he was later pardoned for resisting military service, his experience helped galvanize his political beliefs.

Siteman became a member of the anti-Communist Socialist Party of America and for seventeen years, beginning in the 1950s, he served as secretary to the Party's leader and six time Presidential candidate, Norman Thomas. During this time, Siteman became deeply involved in several issues resonating with his life experience, including reform of the United States prison system and the promotion of peace and conscientious objection. Through his involvement in the Party, he was introduced to the novelist Mark Harris, assisting Harris with his dissertation on the pacifist and draft resister Randolph Bourne

During the later years of his life, Siteman worked closely with Frank Zeidler, the Socialist mayor of Milwaukee and one of the last Socialists to hold a significant elected office in the United States. Concerned with the failure of the Socialist movement to catch on in America and with the problem of factionalism, the two sought ways to return the party to its founding ideals. Together, they helped organize a series of Democratic Socialist Conferences during the 1980s in the hope of reviving the Party. Siteman retired to Greenfield, Mass., dying there on July 1, 2001, without realizing his dream.

Contents of Collection

The Stephen Siteman Collection is composed of three thematic series: Socialism, Peace, and Prison Reform. Ranging in date between 1910 and 1990, the contents cover a variety of topics that center on Socialist politics and Socialist ideals. Siteman's idealistic, pacifist, and internationalist world view informs the collection throughout, offering insight into the moderate end of the Old Left political spectrum.

Series 1 contains publications on war resistance, conscientious objection, and peace. Comprised of works that question militarization and American Cold War-era politics, the series also includes articles on the philosophy and practice of non-violence. A significant portion of the series consists of the publications of War Resistance, The War Resister, and The War Resisters League from the 1940s through1960s.

The largest series in the collection, Series 2 (Socialism) contains three boxes that can be divided roughly into three portions. The two largest and most personal consist of Siteman's correspondence with the novelist Arthur Mark Harris, on the one hand, and with Frank Zeidler, Socialist Mayor of Milwaukee on the other, dating between 1948 and 1960.

At the time of his correspondence with Siteman, Harris was writing a dissertation on the pacifist Randolph Bourne and was referred to Siteman for help. From 1954-1956 Harris and Siteman corresponded regularly about Bourne, developing a cordial relationship. For his assistance, Siteman was sent copies of Harris's newly published books South Paw and Bang the Drum Slowly (neither present in the collection). Siteman was not shy to critique Harris's work: he did not care too much for South Paw and missed the overall message Harris was trying to convey. Although he wrote that he did not like baseball in general, Siteman did enjoy Bang the Drum Slowly, however in the letter thanking Harris for the book, Siteman politely told Harris not to send him any other books, stating that he knew writers received only a few free copies and that Harris should not waste them on him. Harris also sent Siteman a copy of his dissertation on Bourne, entitled Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility, which is included in the collection.

The correspondence with Zeidler is of a more personal nature. Zeidler and Siteman were longtime friends and collaborators. From 1985 to 1991, they exchanged letters and ideas on matters of Socialism, world politics, and the state of the Socialist Party. During Zeidler's term in office, Milwaukee grew industrially and never had to borrow money. Despite his success as a mayor, Zeidler failed to see his Socialist ways of administration take hold within the United States. "Socialist ideals of cooperation are combated with every event within the world," he wrote. Although he continued to work for the Democratic Socialist Conference -- material from which is included in the series -- Zeidler seemed to lose faith that Socialism would ever succeed in the United States. Siteman and Zeidler discuss the growing divisions within the party based on agendas like women's right or race, which divided the movement as a whole.

The series also contains several works on Socialist theory and practice, including an array of newspaper articles from 1918 to the 1980s.

Siteman's imprisonment as a conscientious objector and Socialist led him into research on reform of the American prison system. The Prison Reform series includes published articles and works, not only from the United States but from countries ranging from Austria to Yugoslavia. Siteman had the idea that prisons throughout the world did more harm than good, and he worked to change the system altogether. The series includes news articles documenting problems in prisons and laying out a vision for positive reform of the basic structure of the system. Several pamphlets focus on the idea of a Socialist reformation of the prison system, arguing that prison should be a place of reform, not simple containment.

Collection inventory

Series 1. Peace

1939-1989

American Catholics and War

1980s

Box 1

American Friends Service Committee: Steps to Peace

1951

Box 1

American Friends Service Committee: We the Offenders

Undated

Box 1

Beacon: No. 2

1943

Box 1

Camus, Albert: Neither Victims Nor Executioners

1960

Box 1

CCCO An Agency for Military and Draft Council: Quitting your Job is not a Crime

The Experience of the American Friends Service Committee in Civilian Public Service

1941-1945

Box 1

Fellow of Reconciliation: Meaning of Korea

Undated

Box 1

Fortune Magazine: Arms and the Men

1934

Box 1

Freeman, Harrop: One Nation, Indivisible

1971

Box 1

Friends Peace Committee: Positions of Conscientious Objectors

Undated

Box 1

German Pamphlets

1960s

Box 1

Gorgen, Carol Perry: Catholic Conscientious Objector

1963

Box 1

Greater Boston Strike Committee

1938

Box 1

Heard, Gerald: Militarisms Post-Mortem

1946

Box 1

Heisler, Francis: The Law Versus the Conscientious Objector

1943

Box 1

Hinshaw, Cecil E: Nonviolent Resistance a Nations Way to Peace

1956

Box 1

Hoyland, John: Gandhi-The Practical Peace Builder

1968

Box 1

Humius, F.C: Student Revolt West Germany

1968

Box 1

Huxley, Aldous: An Encyclopedia of Pacifism

1937

Box 1

Hyatt, John: Pacifism a selected Bibliography

1972

Box 2

Kepler, Roy C.: Dynamic Peace Making

1950

Box 2

Labor Anti-War Council: We Stand by Our Position

Undated

Box 2

Liempa: Kriegsdienstverweigerung

1966

Box 2

Ligt, Bart De: Science of Peace

1939

Box 2

Mayer, Milton: Conscience and the Common Wealth

Undated

Box 2

McDonald, Dwight & McDonald, Nancy: The War's Greatest Scandal: The Story of Jim Crow in Uniform

1943

Box 2

Morrison,Sybil: Plain Words on War

Undated

Box 2

Muste, A.J.: Pamphlets

Undated

Box 2

National Council Against Conscription: Case Against the Draft

Undated

Box 2

National Council Against Conscription: Militarization of America

Undated

Box 2

National Council for Universal and Unconditional Amnesty (NCUUA): Have You Heard the Joke about President Ford's Clemency Program?

Undated

Box 2

National Peace Council

1949

Box 2

Owen, Douglass J.J: The International Rights of Conscience

Undated

Box 2

Pacifist Research Bureau

Undated

Box 2

Peace News Pamphlet

Undated

Box 2

Peace News Pamphlet

Undated

Box 2

Peace Pledge Union (PPU)

Undated

Box 2

Post War World Council

Undated

Box 2

Presidents Advisory Commission on Universal Training: An Analysis

1947

Box 2

Provisional Defense Committee: What Happened on June 15?

Undated

Box 2

Service Board for Religious Objectors: Statement of Religious Bodies on the Conscientious Objector

1963

Box 2

Statement of Socialist party: Keep America out of War

Undated

Box 2

Summary of Brief

1940

Box 2

Titford, Charles F.: Pacifist Techniques

Undated

Box 2

Union Calendar: No. 563

1947

Box 3

War Resistance

1965

Box 3

War Resistance

1966

Box 3

War Resistance

1967

Box 3

War Resistance

1962-1963

Box 3

War Resistance

1964

Box 3

War Resister

1945-1949

Box 3

War Resister

1950-1953

Box 3

War Resister

1954-1955

Box 3

War Resister

1956-1957

Box 3

War Resister

1958-1959

Box 3

War Resister

1960-1962

Box 3

War Resisters International

1945

Box 3

War Resisters League

Undated

Box 3

War Resisters League

Undated

Box 3

Germany-Bridge or Battlefield

Undated

Box 3

Non-Violence for the West?

Undated

Box 3

Wartime Service and Treatment of Conscientious Objectors (Congressional Record)

1945

Box 3

The Way to Peace

Undated

Box 3

Wellock, Wilfred: A Mechanistic or a Human Society

Undated

Box 3

Why We Refused to Register

Undated

Box 3

Youth Committee Against War: News Bulletin

1939

Box 3

Series 2. Socialism

1943-1991

American Civil Liberties Union

1950

Box 4

Balabanoff, Angelica M.D.: Tears

Undated

Box 4

Black, Lee Roy: Union Press: Monograph

1975

Box 4

Catholic News Service (CNS) Origins

1986,1991

Box 4

Clinton Farms, New Jersey

1950,1953

Box 4

Democratic Socialism and Convention of Socialist Party: Minutes

1973

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 1st Session

1985

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 1st Session

1985

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 1st Session

1985

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 2nd Session

1985

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 4th Session

1986

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 4th Session

1986

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 4th Session

1986

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 6th Session

1987

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 6th Session

1987

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 7th Session

1988

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 7th Session

1988

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 7th Session

1988

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 8th Session

1989

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 8th Session

1989

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 8th Session

1989

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 9th Session

1989

Box 4

Democratic Socialist Conference: 9th Session

1989

Box 4

Eugene Debs Foundation:

Undated

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1954 February 25-May 28

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1954 June 7-September 29

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1954 October 4-December 24

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1955 January 6-April 29

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1955 May 3-August 14

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1955 September 10-December 3

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1956 January 1-April 11

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Correspondence

1956 August 29-December 9

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

1956

Box 4

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

1956

Box 5

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

Undated

Box 5

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

1956

Box 5

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

1956

Box 5

Harris, Mark: Randolph Bourne: A Study in Immiscibility

1956

Box 5

Hochschild, Mary Marquand: Memorial Talks at the Cosmopolitan Club

1974

Box 5

Japanese Internment and Papers

1995

Box 5

Jenkinson, Anthony: Know Your Enemy! Japan!

1943

Box 5

New York State Labor Religion Coalition

1984

Box 5

Revolutionary Union: Workers' History Calendar

1973

Box 5

Siteman, Stephen: Last Will and Testament

1974

Box 5

Socialism

1918-1920

Box 5

Socialism

1928-1939

Box 5

Socialism

1948-1949

Box 5

Socialism

1950s

Box 5

Socialism

1960-1970s

Box 5

Socialism

1980s

Box 5

Socialist Bibliography

Undated

Box 5

Socialist Book Bibliography

Undated

Box 5

Socialist Plaform

Undated

Box 5

Tamiment Institute Library: Bulletins

1960s

Box 6

Thomas, Norman: Newspaper Clippings

Undated

Box 6

Thomas, Norman: Nobel Prize Nominations

1955

Box 6

Thomas, Norman: Photographs

Undated

Box 6

USSR Information: Bulletin

Undated

Box 6

Vogel, Virgil J.: Bibliography

Undated

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1984-1985

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1986 January-June

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1986 July-November

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1987 January-April

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1987 May-July

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1987 August-October

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1987 November-December

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1988 January-March

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1988 April-May

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1988 June-July

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1988 August-September

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1988 October-December

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1989 January-March

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1989 April-June

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1989 July-August

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1989 September-December

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1990 January-March

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1990 April-May

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1990 June-December

Box 6

Zeidler, Frank: Correspondence

1991 January-March

Box 6

Series 3. Prison Reform

1910-1990

Abolish Capital Punishment (ACP)

1952

Box 7

Abolish Capital Punishment (ACP): Special Report to Members

1967 June

Box 7

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers: The Public Employee

1954

Box 7

American League to Abolish Capital Punishment (ALACP)

1962

Box 7

Austria

1952

Box 7

Burma

1954-1957

Box 7

Canada

1933,1950-1964

Box 7

China

Undated

Box 7

Congress and Labor

1928,1965

Box 7

England

1950-1956

Box 7

France

1956

Box 7

Germany

1952-1955

Box 7

Greece

1952

Box 7

Handouts

1965

Box 7

Hong Kong

Undated

Box 7

Iceland

Undated

Box 7

India

1954

Box 7

International Labor Defense: Long Term Political Prisoners in America

1936

Box 7

Ireland

1963

Box 7

Israel

Undated

Box 7

Italy

1950

Box 7

Japan

1953

Box 7

Mufson, George: Letters

1953

Box 7

Netherlands

1952

Box 7

New Jersey Prison Riots

1950s

Box 7

New Jersey Prison Riots

1950s

Box 7

New Zealand

1955-1957

Box 7

Portugal

Undated

Box 7

Printing Pressmen

1953

Box 7

Prison Labor

1984

Box 7

Prison Manuscript & Newspaper Clippings

1952

Box 7

Prison Reform

1940-1950s

Box 7

Prison Reform

1940-1950s

Box 7

Prison Reform

1940-1950s

Box 7

Prison Reform Notebook

Undated

Box 8

Prisons & Unions

Undated

Box 8

Siteman, Stephen: Prison Reform

1950-1953

Box 8

Slayton, John W.: Criminology, Crimes, and Criminals

1910

Box 8

Socialist and Prison Reform Study

1950s

Box 8

Spain

1953-1955

Box 8

Sweden

1938,1950-1955

Box 8

Switzerland

1953

Box 8

United Nations

1952-1955

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1900s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s

Box 8

United States Prison Reform

1950s-1960s

Box 8

USSR

1957

Box 8

Yugoslavia

1952

Box 8

Administrative information

Access

The collection is open for research.

Language:

English

Provenance

Purchased in .

Processing Information

Processed by Joel Nilles, 2009.

Related Material

Approximately 9 linear feet of books have been separated from the Siteman Collection and have been catalogued and shelved separately in the Rare Books Collections. See a list of the Siteman Books separately.